Special forces on standby over nuclear threat (Pakistan)

Special forces on standby over nuclear threat

www.theherald.co.uk

There are reports that U.S. special forces snatch squads are on standby, awaiting orders to seize or disable Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal in the event of a collapse of government authority or the outbreak of civil war in Pakistan.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.nationalterrorale rt.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Nuclear Terror Imminent?
Special forces on standby over nuclear threat

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Added (Pakistan) to title

[edit on 1/1/08 by masqua]

I apologize if this is improper posting protocol, as I have posted this info in the war on terror forum already. I think this is very important news however, and should be of concern to most of us here. The threat of nuclear weapons "going rogue" has never been more real.

www.theherald.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Interfereing in a Civil War wouldn't be very smart IMO. What makes them think they can successfully seize these nukes? Special Forces is fine and dandy but they are still just soldiers, and a limited number of them at that. I would think full on airstrikes would be the surest and fastest way to neutralize the threat. At which point China, Iran, etc... might have a little something to say about it.

I also was wondering what a small group of soldiers will be accomplishing in case of a full scale civil war in Pakistan, if the mob of angry Pakistanis raid the nuclear sides is not much the soldiers can do. . .

Unless they are told to activate the nukes and blown them all.

reply to post by marg6043


Now if some Pak nukes lite up the area, everyone would be in favor of the US using force to stabilize that nation, and return Mashariff to power. And there's no connection between us having standby forces around when..er.. if it happens.

And if one blew in the area controlled by the Taliban, not only would that be an indicator that everything bad is connected to AQ, but since it would be an AQ stronghold that turned into a glass parking lot, there wouldn't be much sympathy for the dead.

Gee, I bet Bushco could get a coalition up after that. And the next president of the US could win on a war platform to wipe out terrorism in our lifetime.

Internal security at Pakistan's nuclear storage sites is the responsibility of a 10,000-man security force commanded by a two-star general. Every member of the force is vetted with the aim of weeding out sympathisers of the Taliban and al Qaeda or anyone with extreme Islamic views.

...

There has also been pressure to keep Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency, thought to contain a number of high-ranking pro-Taliban supporters, out of the nuclear loop.

I'm guessing they have a good reason to be cautious.
But they can't find them all. It just takes one to push a button.

reply to post by apc


Umm from what I know (I might be wrong but dont think so) , its a bit more complicated to fire nukes than just pressing a big red button like you see on TV .. I doubt that more then a few people there have the clearance, knowledge , the access codes and the training to actually fire a nuke ..

[edit on 1-1-2008 by Thill]

I know in the US it's a very complicated process involving a minimum of two people with clearance. I'm not sure about Pakistan, but I would hope that they use a similar system.

In the meantime I hope that it doesn't come to a government collapse of a civil war in Pakistan, but there's no harm in having plans on the table just incase. I'm not really sure what special forces plan on doing, but I'd rather they do something rather than nothing if the Pakistani nuclear arsenal becomes vulnerable.

Originally posted by Thill
I doubt that more then a few people there have the clearance, knowledge , the access codes and the training to actually fire a nuke ..

Exactly why SF may be able to do something. They can minimize the threat from the bombs they cant get by capturing or killing the only people who know how to use them.

Now, from my understanding Pakistan only has about 20, am I wrong?

If SF can sieze most of them they can make a difference. 20 nukes could bring any large nation to its knees but one would just hurt real bad.

I would agree with the previous poster who said that a nuclear accident over this could give us a green light. If a nuke goes off in Pakistan and the US didnt do it no one will have the balls to stop the US from entering Iran.

reply to post by cyberdude78


Would you be in favor of US military incursions into Pakistan? Would you trust the military SF to act in the best interests of Pakistan? Can you imagine the SF, with "spook" guidance, detonating one bomb in some Taliban controlled area to give the US a reason to send in more troops?

reply to post by Thill


Really? I figured they just had a few tents with nuke symbols on them.

Yes the big red button is a metaphor. Consider these are elements that spread through indoctrination and individual recruitment; a knowledgeable few getting into position to make something happen is not an unrealistic possibility. Else why the inward scrutiny and precautions? They know such a threat exists. If there was ever a time to act, it's now.

Originally posted by jackinthebox

Special forces on standby over nuclear threat

www.theherald.co.uk

There are reports that U.S. special forces snatch squads are on standby, awaiting orders to seize or disable Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal in the event of a collapse of government authority or the outbreak of civil war in Pakistan.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.nationalterrorale rt.com

MY concern isWho is in command of those Special Forces? Who EXACTLY are they loyal to?


After the very disurbing issues raised, and more importantly, speculated upon, by the Minot/Barksdale affair, I would seriously worry that those Special Forces may be operating to "secure" and/or seize Pakistani nukes for eventual use against the US; likely under the orders of the same person (or persons) responsible for the "unauthorized" transport of the nuclear-armed cruise missles from Minot AFB last August.


If it was even, officially, suspected that Musharraf had an active hand in former PM Benazir Bhutto's assination, those suspicions could easily be used as leverage against Musharraf by "some one" within the current administration to leverage Musharraf's co-operation...against his life.

That co-operation could lead to the "disappearance" of one or more war-heads: said disappearance then easily and believibly blamed on "the Terrorists".

Now comes word that the elections in Pakistan have been delayed, by the Masharraf government, against the objections of the opposition parties, for (at least) a month.


Does anyone else smell a fuse burning?

What I would be in favor of would be securing the arsenal and then relocating it to a safer location until they can be dismantled. I would have no problem with a country like Switzerland holding on to about twenty nuclear weapons for a while if need be. I think that in the event of a civil war or government collapse in Pakistan it would be for the best to have all nuclear weaponry removed from the country.

I can understand your concerns that a group such as the CIA could orchestrate the detonation of one of the warheads for the sake of deploying more troops to the region. However I think that the chances of that happening are low enough where I'd still prefer that special forces secured the arsenal rather than let it sit in a completely uncontrolled country where either the Al Queda or a local warlord could employ the weapons for more nefarious purposes. So yes I do think that special forces would be acting in the best interests of the Pakistani people by removing the nuclear arsenal from the country in the event of a government collapse or a civil war.

I get the sense that everyone is 'assuming' we have intimate knowledge about these weapons. I would say that a 'A bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush'. These weapons are in the 'bush'. We had better be absolutely sure about what we're doing here or we may kick off a self fulfilling prophecy.

reply to post by HimWhoHathAnEar


One of the things I was hoping to see people realize. It's not so much that the SF would set one off, even led by the CIA, but that a treasure hunt would ensue, and if the "baddies" found one, they would use it for a dirty bomb if nothing else., and have the US to blame for causing it to happen.

reply to post by cavscout



There are about 60 warheads in 4 seperate locations I believe.

reply to post by cyberdude78


Pakistan will never voluntarily relenquish control of their nukes, even in the event of civil war. Their weapons act as a deterrent against India. And this is how I see one rogue nuke turning into WWIII very fast. India has been very quiet as of late, and will not stand by while Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is compromised. Simply removing the nukes from Pakistan for safe keeping is not plauseable without causing an earthquakes measure of political and strategic ramifications.

reply to post by Bhadhidar


I smell a fuse burning. I do not question the loyalty of US Spec Forces. I do however question their leadership which becomes more shrouded the higher you go, all the way to the top of civilian leadership in the White House.

The loyalty of the 10,000 members of Pakistan's nuclear security force is clearly compromised at this point in relation to U.S. security. They may have been vetted against radical or Taliban ties, but they still have no loyalty to the U.S. whatsoever. Their loyalties will be given to the victor of any civil war upon pain of death. There is no way to determine the fault line among that force if civil war were to erupt in Pakistan.

Originally posted by Thill
reply to post by apc

 

Umm from what I know (I might be wrong but dont think so) , its a bit more complicated to fire nukes than just pressing a big red button like you see on TV .. I doubt that more then a few people there have the clearance, knowledge , the access codes and the training to actually fire a nuke ..

[edit on 1-1-2008 by Thill]

Ha Ha Ha

To be told my friend the hardest part is making them in the first place - and given instruction by someone who understands the making of the thingsthen they can be most defiantly be set off.

I will find an article about the UK's weapons being basically controlled by whoever had the keys (all out nukes are on subs, so you would have to control of eliminate a hundred odd people - but controlled by one set of keys they were)

will edit with link shortly.

I do not think that a rogue nuke will be deployed in Pakistan. It will be deployed either in India, or more likely in the continental U.S.

In case anyone is not aware of this, US SF have already been deployed within Pakistan, supposedly to help locals fight radical warlords on the frontier.